Britain says teacher held hostage in Libya freed

Oct. 04, 2014

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Foreign Office says a teacher who had been held hostage by militants in Libya for the past four months has been safely freed and reunited with his family.

In a statement Saturday night, the Foreign Office identified the former hostage as David Bolam, a teacher at the Benghazi European School, and described him as "safe and well after his ordeal" and with his family in an undisclosed location. It says his abduction had been kept secret for his own security.

The Foreign Office declined to provide other details on Bolam's background, captivity or release and said his family wants to protect their privacy. His LinkedIn profile indicates he was the director of the Benghazi school.

Bolam's captors, who described themselves as a Libyan faction called the Army of Islam, on Sept. 7 posted a 53-second video of Bolam pleading for Britain to arrange a prisoner exchange or other diplomatic initiative to secure his release.